Because I Can't Forget You
by Redonix
Summary: After witnessing a confession that didn't turn out right, Oikawa is determined to get Chiruka to cut ties. What he doesn't understand, though, is that it's not so easy to let go of love, whether it's lost or not. But with a little bit of time then even the Prince of Aoba Johsai can learn what it means to not forget someone.
1. A Confession

_((Redonix Note: Heya all, I'm back again after like... two years? Sorry about that. I was in a bad place for awhile and couldn't convince myself to write much of anything anymore, and then after awhile I just moved to a different account. But recently, after discovering that Haikyu! was getting a fourth season then I found myself with a bunch of hype that I didn't know what to do with. So because I still didn't want to entirely give this story up, I revisited it and decided to just rewrite the whole thing! I hope you'll enjoy this remastered version as much as you enjoyed the other!_

 ** _Edited:_** _ **1/23/19** ))_

* * *

 **1\. A Confession**

" ' _That's alright,' she says, and I have to wonder how many times in her life she's said that to the people who screwed her over somehow..." ―_ **Unknown**

" _And all I loved, I loved alone." ―_ **Edgar Allen Poe**

* * *

' _There is no way I'm going to be able to eat all of this candy._ '

Oikawa stared at his tiny locker while trying to keep his expression neutral. The thing was filled to the max with chocolates, cookies, and cards containing confessions of love― all just for him. As he tried to remove his school shoes, a rain of the goodies came pouring out at his feet.

He resisted the urge to sigh out loud. As much as he loved that all these girls loved _him_ , one could only stomach so much sugar at once without getting sick and resentful of it. But he couldn't just throw it away and risk hurting anyone's feelings . After all, these things had either been made or chosen with love and care. Perhaps sometime during practice he could slip a few of these packages to his teammates, though. That counted as sharing the love, right?

"Looks like another successful start to Valentine's Day to fuel your ego." Oikawa looked away from his stash and towards a bored looking Iwaizumi, who added with a scoff, "As if you weren't annoying enough."

He grinned. "Aw, is Iwa-chan jealous? If you're nice then I'll share some candy with you~"

Grabbing a tastefully wrapped package, Oikawa waved it in his friend's face temptingly. The doleful glare he received only made his grin grow wider.

"Just hurry up will you? I don't wanna be standing around here all day waiting for your slow ass."

Oikawa stuck his tongue out and returned to the task of carefully prying out his shoes. "You act like I'm the only popular one around here Iwa-chan. I bet your locker was just as bad as mine."

"The you're severely overestimating the amount of influence I actually have in this school." Hajime huffed, folding his arms as he leaned against the lockers.

"Ah, right," the setter said sagely, shooting him a devious look. "You're the kind of guy that attracts the meek folk. What with your niceness and strong looks, you'll have quite a crowd later on, same as last year. I predict you'll be pretty busy during lunch."

"I'll be busy with my math homework, and so will you."

Ever so slowly he inched his shoes out, tuning out Iwa-chan's spluttering with a triumphant grin. The mountain on top continuously threatened to shift and dump everything onto the floor.

Once he heard Iwa-chan's huff of impatience, then he began to pick up the speed. Sometimes, there would be warnings from his friend about the lines he was crossing, like that for instance. Other times Iwa-chan would tap his foot, or burn holes through the back of his head. Sometimes if he was unfortunate enough then he'd witness all three at once― a sure sign that if he didn't stop whatever he was doing then he was going to wind up with a new lump on his head. Most of the time, though, he was rather unlucky and received no warning at all. But being the best kind of friend there was Oikawa just didn't know when to quit. After all, if he was going to hit it then he should hit it until it breaks.

Giving up on the delicacy, Oikawa yanked the shoes out and watched as the confectioneries tumbled onto the floor. Deciding it would just be better to empty out his locker completely, he swiped the rest out before switching his sneakers for the dull brown school shoes. Finally, he knelt to the floor, swinging his backpack off his shoulders and opened it up to scoop all the Valentine goodies away.

After a minute of watching, him Iwa-chan knelt down and began to help hurry things along.

"Did you even understand any of the math homework?" he asked, nonchalant, to help ease away the lull of awkward silence. "I think I did okay, but some of those problems just didn't make any sense."

"I got most of it done yesterday thanks to Nakano-san's help, but he had to leave before we could finish." Iwa-chan shoved the last of the candy into the setter's backpack and stood up. "If we hurry then maybe we can catch him before the bell rings."

Oikawa stood up as well, swinging the bag back over his shoulder. "Who's this Nakano guy again?"

Iwaizumi stared at him long and hard before rolling his eyes and walking away. "He's that peer tutor I told you about. You know, ginger hair, sometimes stops by to talk during lunch?"

He thought about it as they walked, putting his hand to his chin and squinting at the ceiling. Now that he thought about it the name did ring a bell. But being surrounded by so many faces day in and day out made it hard to put names to them. Since Iwa-chan said that he was a ginger that stopped by from time to time during lunch, then that should make it a little easier...

"Oh!" He loosened his grip on his chin and snapped his fingers. "You mean the nerd with the all those chibi anime keychains on his bag, right?"

"I swear, sometimes it's like each word that comes out of your mouth shaves another year off of my life," Iwa-chan muttered. "But yeah, that's him. Nakano Kazuo."

Oikawa snickered and threw his arm around Iwaizumi's shoulders. The duo rounded a corner, only to double back quickly.

The hallway, a normal shortcut that would have taken them to the stairs which went up to the second floor, was empty, save for two people. If it had been any other day then a scene like that wouldn't have phased them, but with today's holiday, this was a moment that demanded privacy.

Oikawa and Iwaizumi peeked around the corner again to make sure that they hadn't disturbed them. When it became apparent that they hadn't been noticed, Hajime attempted to turn back, muttering about how they should go the other way. He grabbed his friend by the coat and kept him in place, his dark eyes riveted to the scene playing out before him.

Although witnessing (or participating in) confessions, especially on such a cliché day such as this one, wasn't uncommon, Oikawa was always fascinated by the act. Call him a soap opera hound, but he couldn't ever fully stem his interest in the matter. And, despite Iwaizumi's hushed insistence that they leave, he remained rooted to the spot.

In that moment, he was grateful the hallway was quiet. Voices carried easier that way.

The girl, a first year if he were to guess by her height, softly cleared out her throat and began to utter the beginning of what sounded like one _very_ practiced speech.

"I uh, I know this is pretty unoriginal, being Valentine's and all, but I― but if I don't do it now, th-then I doubt I ever will. So, um…"

Oikawa leaned a little further away from the wall and strained his ears to hear. For a few heartbeats longer, everything felt oppressively quiet. The girl anxiously pulled at some of her long, sandy hair, visibly trembling. The one receiving the confession, a lean and tall guy that looked like he could very well be a third year, stood in front of her and quietly waited for her to gather herself.

"I know that we haven't really talked much," She started again, even quieter than before, "b-but I see you in class every day working so hard. I really admire you for that, and I like your smile, and you're really funny. I've liked for awhile, Ueno-san. S-so I was wondering if you… if you would…"

She trailed off, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "I-I was wondering if you'd go out on at least one date with m-me, even if it's j-just as friends!"

Oikawa held his breath. The silence ate at everything; the intense atmosphere, the controlled breathing, even his own thoughts. He couldn't bear it. Not once had he witnessed, nor participated in, such a serious confession. It was stressful, to say the least.

The guy, Ueno-san, raised his hand and pushed back his dark hair. Even from this far away, Oikawa could tell that his answer wasn't going to be good. Iwa-chan murmured something, too quiet for him to understand, and turned away.

"I'm sorry."

The girl stiffened a little, but said nothing. Something about her shrunken posture said she had been expecting an answer like this.

"You deserve someone better than me. And I know this might sound selfish, but I'd like to focus on school right now. If I can't graduate then it's all over for me."

She nodded solemnly. Ueno-san returned the gesture and made a partial move to walk away. He stopped half a step into the idea, thinking about something, before turning back again and softly saying, "By the way, it was really brave of you to do this. I'm sorry, again, but we can still be friends."

"R-right…," She sounded so weak right then, as if she were going to crumple in on herself and disappear. Yet her form was too rigid to suggest such a thing. It was painfully obvious that she was forcing herself to keep holding herself together, beyond what she was capable of handling.

"See you in class, Maki-san." He nodded and walked away then, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Maki-san remained grounded to her spot even long after Ueno-san had disappeared from the hallway. Oikawa couldn't tell if it was from shock, or if it was because she was crying. After another minute, however, she shook her head and walked away, as if nothing had happened. Only when she, too, was gone did he and Iwaizumi come out from behind the wall.

Iwa-chan sighed like he'd been holding his breath for awhile. "That was…" He struggled to find the right word.

"I kind of feel bad for her," Oikawa said. They walked slowly down the hall. "But I don't think it would have worked out for them anyway. They looked like they were in different years. A gap like that wouldn't have been fun to bridge once he went off to college."

His friend hummed distantly in agreement. "Hopefully that girl doesn't get too down on herself. There's always a chance she could find someone else in that time."

Oikawa grinned and pointed to himself. "Like me!"

The look Iwa-chan gave him suggested that someone had just shoved a bowl of curdled milk under his nose, and he was less than amused. Oikawa feigned offense and bumped into his friend.

"I honestly don't know if _you_ would be a better option for her, considering that you're more or less in the same boat as that guy. The only thing that separates you from him is what you want to focus on."

Hajime was right, of course. Whereas that Ueno guy just wanted to focus on school, he wanted to remain focused on volleyball. There was so much he wanted to achieve, and as he neared the end of his second year, there also became that much less time to achieve it in. He couldn't afford to become emotionally invested in a relationship. And after how his last attempt at one had ended, he wasn't sure he wanted to anyway. At least, not for a long, long time.

"Still," he gave a chipper smile, "I could take her on a date. After all, she struck me as having gone into that not expecting much to go her way, and that was all she asked for."

Iwa-chan shook his head. "Well, that wouldn't stray from the normal with your track record. If you don't outright reject a fan, then the rest only make it to the first date or second date."

"You make me sound so cold-hearted. Somewhat generous, but mostly cold-hearted."

"Not my problem that's how you perceive the truth." Iwaizumi shrugged and they rounded the corner, now bickering about the true meanings of what Iwa-chan had claimed as the truth.

It was only when they were in their seats and after bell rang that they remembered their unfinished math homework, and that they still hadn't asked Nakano for help.

* * *

The bell rang for lunch, causing Chiruka to start at the sound. She blinked slowly in an attempt to clear the time stealing fog from her mind, but it was pointless. The young woman dared to look up and watch people shuffle out of the classroom.

Slowly, as he usually did, Ueno Yuuta came into view. As he passed her desk, the two avoided looking at each other. The moment he'd left, though, then her gaze flickered onto the boy's receding figure. For a moment, Chiruka stopped breathing. For a moment, she forgot that anything had even happened this morning.

But the moment hardly lasted. Reality returned with its biting claws and harsh light; her chest burned. The feeling of being so small and unworthy to stand in front of him, of being so powerless to keep herself from shaking, of being nothing but a _coward_ ― it was smothering her. She had put off this confrontation for so long, bracing herself day in and day out for only the worst outcome despite the continuous reassurance her friends had piled upon her. Everything she had done had been done knowing full well that she wasn't going to win this. That this wouldn't end with success like something from a manga.

And yet, despite knowing all of this, it still hurt _so much._

Her chest tightened, leaving her breathless. Tears pricked along the corners of her eyes. Everything stung. Chiruka tried relentlessly to not think of Ueno Yuuta, or his sad expression as he apologized and turned her down. She tried, and tried, and tried, but her thoughts were flooded with nothing but repeats of what happened earlier that morning.

"Chi! Hello, Earth to Chi, come in!" Knuckles rapped lightly against the side of her head, causing the thickening fog to dispel. But only just barely.

Chiruka looked up at her friends― her wonderful, _wonderful_ friends ―Rei and Kazuo. The former of the two sat down in a vacated seat, resting her head on top of her fist. Cool, smokey grey eyes studied her critically, the light highlighting the worry in her gaze. The latter carefully placed himself on the edge of her desk, his hand only inches away in preparation to lend her comfort. Both studied her carefully, waiting in apprehension for her to speak. To tell them news of some sort.

"So… So I talked to him this morning." Her voice quivered, and with a visibly shaking hand, she tucked a lock of her bright hair behind an ear. "And, um… I… He― He said…"

She inhaled sharply, trying so hard not to think about it even as she tried to tell her best friends what happened. Her lower lip, already raw from her excessive picking and chewing, trembled. The world around her, the people in front of her― all of it became an unfocused photograph. Her heart screamed in her ears; screamed and cried, simply making a mess out of her whole mind. Desperately, Chiruka tried in vain to make her thoughts go blank. But trying not to think about it only made it more prominent in her mind. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't focus. She wanted to cry, oh _god_ she wanted to cry, but not here. Not where people could see her.

She couldn't break down here. She wouldn't.

Standing up so suddenly, hand flying to her mouth to stifle sobs threatening to crack the relatively quiet environment, Chiruka bolted as quickly as she could while still trying to look as dignified as possible. Rei and Kazuo called out to her, but she was beyond reasoning with at that particular moment. She needed a private outlet, and fast.

With her head down to hide her face from possible prying eyes, she didn't notice the students coming into the classroom at the same time she was trying to leave.

Her forehead came into contact with something warm but hard. A pair of large and rather strong hands gripped her tiny shoulders to her from falling. Chiruka's head snapped up and her bright, burning blue eyes made contact with surprised oakwood brown. For a split second she forgot herself, her panic, and remained in that bliss. But it was soon torn away by her own traveling gaze, piecing together the rest of his face, his perfectly curled brown hair. Her heart leapt to her throat and she quickly bowed her apology, wrenching out of his grasp to push past him and his friend.

Of all the people she had to have run into, it _had_ to be the Prince of Seijoh, Oikawa Tooru. The most popular, most sought after boy in his second year. A heartthrob. A player. A mockery of what she couldn't have, even if it was only for a moment.

She was crying long before she even reached the girl's bathroom.

* * *

Oikawa had seen past the blonde bangs into eyes that burned brightly with such heartfelt pain. And for that moment, as his eyes locked onto hers, he had almost felt what she felt. He was stunned, incapable of doing nothing as she pulled herself out of his grasp and ran down the hallway. That blind hopelessness had left him powerless.

"Chiruka!" Another girl shot past him, midnight black hair streaming behind her like the tails of a kite. He pressed himself against the door as a young man followed after her, calling for his fleeing friend.

"Oi, Nakano!" Iwaizumi called out suddenly, and the running boy looked over his shoulder.

"Sorry Iwaizumi! Can't stop, notes are in my bag!" He waved briefly, flicking his auburn bangs in the process. And then the guy that they had come to see disappeared down the hall. Oikawa frowned and glanced at Iwa-chan, who returned the look with a troubled one of his own.

"I think that was the girl we saw earlier," he murmured.

Turning his head back to the now peaceful hall, Oikawa did nothing except stare. There was something so strange about witnessing things like this. Usually high school was a time to be superficial in both appearance and feelings, a way to actually figure out who and what you wanted to become. That's what he believed anyways. But to see something so _genuine_ unfold in their frivolous setting… It was, well, rather unsettling. He felt uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"We should probably go get the notes." He sounded distant, even to himself. Slowly, Oikawa turned around and walked into the classroom with Iwaizumi.

While he waited for his friend to get the notes, a trio of lovely ladies approached him with their hands behind their backs.

"Oikawa-san~!" He looked up and plastered an interested smile across his face. Perhaps this splash of normality would cheer him up again. After all, being showered in affections of the many was better than pondering someone else's loss.

' _If it was me that she'd fallen for instead then she'd at least have gotten a date out of it, even if it were only as friends_.' The surprisingly resentful thought crossed his mind. He was really letting this get to him a little too much. There had to be a way to put his conscience at ease somehow.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" The girls brought their hands forward suddenly, offering their holiday tributes to him. They all tittered amongst themselves, ears and cheeks turning a pleasant shade of pink as they explained away why everything came in the same clear wrapping that was tied off with red ribbons. "None of us are good at cooking―

"So we went to this cute little candy shop in the next town over and―"

"And we got matching chocolates for you!" The third girl finished triumphantly. Her pretty grey eyes sparkled with a child like sense of pride. It was adorable, honestly. All three of the girls seemed to be happy that they'd gone to such lengths to get him this special gift, and he was touched, but oh was he going to be so sick if he kept accepting all these sweets. (And he didn't know _that_ many people which he could regift it too either.) Still, if he didn't take the candy then he'd make these girls upset― something he'd had enough of today.

That's when a light bulb flickered on in the back of his mind.

Oikawa leaned in a little and grasped the first girl's hands firmly between his own. He looked her directly in the eye, ignoring her blush, and smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, really. I'm touched that you guys would go out of your way to get me something, but…," She stiffened a little and he hurried to finish his thought. "But I think someone else could really use this to cheer up right now. Do you know that girl that ran out just little while ago?"

All three nodded simultaneously.

"That was Maki Chiruka," the girl on the left supplied. "From what I gathered, she's had this big crush on Ueno-san for a while, but I guess things didn't work out in her favor."

They cast pitying glances between themselves. Oikawa nodded and automatically tucked that bit of information away for later, though he didn't think he'd need it later. The girls looked back at him, silently questioning why he was bringing this up.

"Don't you think that everyone should be happy today?" he asked. "If you could give these to her instead, then she might cheer up, even if it's just a little. Doing this would mean so much to me and I'd be very grateful towards you guys forever!"

And his conscience would be cleared. After all, he'd stuck around to watch something personal when he shouldn't have. Knowing what had happened, especially after running into that same girl once again, left him feeling rather guilty.

As if his words were a magic spell, the girls began to nod exuberantly, though whether it was because they were eager to serve or please him was beyond his knowledge. Regardless, Oikawa gave them his most charming smile and turned them to putty. Of course, there was always a chance that could take this opportunity to bully poor Chiruka for earning his favor, but he had a feeling that they wouldn't bother her after this. So, now that he had put his plan into action, he convinced himself he would be back to feeling normal once again, purposefully ignoring the lingering negative doubts.

"Hey, Trashykawa," Iwa-chan walked around the girls, holding an orange notebook up with a flash of irritation. "I got the notes, let's go."

Oikawa spun on his heel, waving enthusiastically at the girls before bouncing out after Iwa-chan.

* * *

The day only seemed to go from bad to worse. Chiruka was completely and utterly exhausted. She hadn't been quick enough; unable to succeed in even the simplest of things, no thanks to Rei for intervening, Chiruka couldn't even properly cry her eyes out. The moment her friends had caught up to her she had slammed a wall down on her rampant emotions and forced herself to remain calm.

It was hard to pinpoint when she had started shutting herself down like that, but she knew it had been happening for many years now; a defense mechanism which kept her from revealing how vulnerable she really was to others, even if they were close friends or family. Sure, it may have been a deep, dark rabbit hole in which she stuck herself, but she was fairly used to solving her problems all on her own anyhow. Dragging others into it just made things more complicated.

But now that her flow had been stemmed, shoved back into its tiny jar with the lid oh so tightly sealed, she was unable to climb out of that rabbit hole.

Stuck.

Drained.

Sick.

It took too much effort to keep up this façade.

Everyone around her always said she looked apathetic, as if nothing in this world could please her. But that was true at all. If anything, Chiruka cared _too much_. It was a trap made for herself, by herself.

' _Pathetic._ '

Chiruka had no intention of falling in love during her high school career, especially not with someone she knew she had no chance with from the start.

' _Unbelievable_.'

If she had realized just how much she'd be hurting after getting those restless feelings out into the open then she would have just continued to suffer by keeping them to herself. Being smothered silently seemed more preferable in the moment to the state of agony her mind was in now.

' _So naïve._ '

It shouldn't have bothered her. Chiruka had known what his answer was going to be long before he even knew how she felt. She had accepted it. Had even rehearsed how she'd react when she finally heard his response with her own ears. Sometimes, she would even dream about Yuuta telling her to leave him alone, or that he had someone else dear to his heart. And yet… Somehow… Her heart had been pierced and left to bleed in her own trembling hands.

' _Fool._ '

Chiruka clutched her chest, nails digging in deep, as if to rip the pain out by force.

"Chi."

She couldn't breathe.

" _Chi._ "

Her heart was hurting her mind. Two organs that didn't actually have anything to do with each other, aside from keeping her alive, were warring away inside. Logic versus empathy; a battle that was sorely being lost by both sides, slowly killing her.

"Chiruka!"

Her head snapped up and she stared at her friends with blurred vision. Blinking, Chiruka looked around and saw that the class was empty aside from them. Robotically, she turned back to her friends and stood up, grabbing her bag. The heavy beating in her chest didn't go away, but it smoothed out to a steady, bearable tempo. Rei and Kazuo let her pass between them without a word, and once she was out the door then they took up their places on either side of her, entwining their hands with hers. Even if she would rather deal with this heartache alone, their presence was truly one to be grateful for.

Together they walked through the school in silence. Chiruka knew that, eventually, they'd want to try talking to her, but for now, this was enough.

When they reached the locker area then they split. Her mind fell into autopilot mode, following the after school routine like clockwork. Slipping off school shoes, pulling out her scuffed pink sneakers, putting those on.

If it weren't for someone touching her shoulder then she would have continued on in that blank state all the way home, avoiding all other people and obligations as she went. But, in the time that it took for her turn around, she had one thought―a stupid little thing she wished she'd never had ―a little hope that maybe Yuuta had seen her and wanted to spare her a little comfort. That was something friend's did for one another, after all.

A stupid, selfish little thing to ask for.

Instead, she was greeted by the same boy she had run into during lunch.

"Hello Chi-chan!" Oikawa gave a little wave and smiled.

Her stomach coiled at the sight of him. Seeing his smile now, with fresh eyes, it was so fake that it was blinding. That thing he probably would have called charm was nothing more than a cheap hat trick made to look like real magic all because he had a pretty face. He probably thought that his act earlier was one of generosity. If she had been in a better state of mind when those girls told her that Oikawa was the one who asked them to give their candy to her, then she might have actually been touched by his sentiments. Instead, it had only worsened her mood.

But Oikawa Tooru wasn't a guy who could empathize with her. He wore a mask that said he could feel everything, but underneath it he was nothing but a superficial little worm.

"Hello, Oikawa-san," she mumbled tiredly. He frowned a little at her formality, but quickly slid back into his normal, satisfied-with-life appearance.

"You looked pretty upset when we ran into each other earlier, so I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I don't really know what happened―," Lie. Everyone knew what had happened at this point. Gossip spread like wildfire, and no doubt he'd been listening to every word of it, "but I hope that you're feeling a little better now. I have something for you."

' _Oh god, please don't let it be more candy._ ' She knew his popularity gave him access to an unhealthy amount confectioneries, but she didn't want to be subjected to _another_ case of regifted food. And why was he bothering to try this again? Surely those fans of his told him that she had rejected his ' _present'_.

Chiruka had to repress a heavy sigh as Oikawa swung his backpack around, revealing the plethora of sweets and love confessions he had received. Of course it was more candy.

The girl wrinkled her nose a little. Before long she'd end up absorbing all the salt that was being poured into her open wounds and become a great, salty deity. Perhaps then she could slap the smug little volleyball prince across the face and he'd finally get the message to stop trying to 'help'.

Oikawa let out an easy laugh, breaking her concentration. "I know this probably looks really bad, especially since these are from other people to myself, but I honestly can't eat all of this on my own. And I read somewhere that chocolate increases endorphins and makes you happier."

She couldn't quite figure out his game. Calling her by name in such a familiar way, offering his candy, trying to make her _happy_. Did he think he was performing some kind of charity for her? Somehow, it wasn't surprising that he knew her name. All Oikawa had to do was smile and he'd have girls telling him anything he wanted to know. But to refer to her by a nickname only those close to her used… It kind of ticked her off― an amazing feat considering how she also felt like she couldn't give a damn.

"Ah, here we go."

Chiruka stared at the neatly wrapped package being forced into her hands. Just imagining whatever sugar loaded confectionery lay beneath the shiny paper made her want to be sick. When her classmates had tried to offer their Oikawa-directed gifts to her she turned them down for more reasons than to spite the prince. Unless it was a select few items, Chiruka downright refused to eat candy. Lately it had been making her sick, and she was already feeling bad enough as it was.

But it wasn't just the sugar making her feel queasy as she looked up and met Oikawa's gaze. No, that look in his eyes was far worse than an abundance of sugar. So _fake._ So _patronizing._

She shoved the candy into his chest, straightening her back. The hard thump of her heart was brought back into the limelight, and she was reminded just how much she hated catching someone's attention in a place like this.

"I don't need your pity." She allowed the familiar apathetic shell close in around her, shutting out the people on the outside, and locking herself in. Stiffly, robotically, she turned and walked away.

And Oikawa let her go.


	2. The Masks We Wear

_((Redonix Note: I was looking through all the CCxOC stories and? Wow? Where did they all go? There used to be more the last time I was on here lmao. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_

 ** _Edited:_** ** _1/23/19_** _))_

* * *

 **2\. The Masks We Wear**

" _Challenges are what makes life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." ―_ **Joshua J. Marine**

" _People are more than just the way they look." ―_ **Madeleine L'Engle**

" _We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are." ―_ **Anais Nin**

* * *

"Is your friend alright?"

Iwaizumi pulled out a chair and sat down next to Nakano, throwing a casual glance a couple tables down the row to a pair of girls quietly studying. One was a tall, wiry looking ravenette, and the other was the small blonde from before. Now that he actually paid attention, then he noticed that they always seemed to be in the library at the same time he and Kazuo had their peer tutoring sessions. Of course, the only reason he started to notice this was because of the incident that had occurred a few days ago. Though he supposed that anyone who'd heard about it noticed the once invisible girl now.

Oikawa certainly did, and it drove him _nuts_ how brainless his friend had become because of it. Bugging him every other conversation about how she'd completely blown off his continuous attempts at sincerity, always trying to initiate conversation with her if they happened to pass in the halls, or else just staring for too long if he caught sight of her. The setter's interest in the girl was just as much of a nuisance as it was downright confusing. Did he think there was anything he could do for a heartbroken stranger that didn't even want his help? Knowing his friend, though, then Oikawa would eventually get over and forget about it, but until then, Iwaizumi would be stuck listening to his complaints and grumblings on loop.

Kazuo sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "It's hard to tell with Chi sometimes. She can get pretty reclusive when it comes to certain things, y'know? But I think she's okay for now." A little bit more sourly, he added, "But it would certainly help if someone would stop heckling her."

"I apologize on my friend's behalf for antagonizing her. I try my best to hold him back, but sometimes the dumbass is just too overwhelming to be contained." Hajime shook his head apologetically and Kazuo scoffed.

He glanced at the girls again, honing in on the blonde as she pointed at something in a book and explained it to her friend. The girl known as Maki Chiruka, from what he'd gathered, was antisocial, an enigma to everyone on the outside (and sometimes to those on the inside too, it seemed). As he stared at the girl's blank expression, Nakano's answer somewhat made sense.

"Does she ever smile?" he couldn't help but wonder out loud. When he looked at Kazuo he quickly began to backtrack. "Sorry, that was rude of me."

The ginger heaved a deep sigh, closing his sharp eyes as he drummed his pencil on the table. Iwaizumi got the distinct impression that this was not the first time the young man had heard this question. When the boy opened his eyes again, Kazuo pulled a spare piece of paper out from his notebook and placed it between them, drawing a few circles and then numbering them.

"You know that old superstition that we all learn at one point or another? How we all have three masks?" Realizing that Nakano had switched to his tutoring mode, Iwaizumi pulled himself closer to the table and nodded.

"Yeah. A face for the world, a face for the loved, and a face hidden from all the above." Hajime remembered it rather well. His grandmother was very fond of the concept, as she would see all kinds of people every day, and had made the rhyme to keep it in mind.

Kazuo nodded, quirking an eyebrow in approval at the rhyme. "The mask that everyone sees when they look at Chiruka is what everyone refers to as an apathetic being. But it's funny, to me, that they all just assume the surface image is equal to the depth of the person.

"Chiruka isn't a person void of emotion. Rather, she's one of the most empathetic people you could ever meet. But unfortunately, no one bothers to try and understand that about her, and Chi doesn't bother to correct that perception of herself, either."

"Why not?"

"She's not always the most willing conversationalist. She prefers her privacy, is all."

Kazuo lightly chuckled to himself as he filled in the first two circles. The first one was a cheesy looking neutral face, almost like some kind of anime character deadpanning. The second mask was more emotional. One half sang with joy, while the other cried a flood of tears. Both halves seemed excessive for the girl he saw to be wearing, yet somehow, they also rang with a semblance of truth. Mostly, though, the believability fell upon the sad half. It was the crack in her first mask that had appeared on Valentine's day.

He glanced at the third mask. Though it was the most private of them all, he couldn't help but wonder what Kazuo speculated it to look like.

"And what about the last one? The face hidden from all the above?"

"I can only guess, but…," Nakano began to scribble erratically over the third circle. "I would imagine it to be something like this."

Iwaizumi frowned at the disaster before him. The darker marks didn't look right in comparison to the other two masks. He couldn't make sense of the faceless form, but when he looked up to meet Kazuo's solid gaze, he knew it wasn't supposed to be understandable.

"Chiruka is a person, just as complex as you or I, with her own demons to fight against." There was something saddening about the way Kazuo looked in that moment. Hajime glanced at the blonde a few tables away and felt it too. The girl known as Maki Chiruka was an enigma, but a pitiable one.

"I'm sorry," Iwaizumi managed to murmur. "I shouldn't have pried like that."

Kazuo dropped the pencil on the paper and leaned away from the table, vigorously rubbing his face. The wing spiker watched his tutor carefully, regret for ever having brought the topic up coursing through his veins, weighing him down.

The ginger let his hands fall. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment, before turning his attention back to the matter at hand with a half smile. "Man, this got more depressing than the math I was going to help you with was gonna be!"

Iwaizumi couldn't help but snort. That could be said again.

"Well, I suppose since we're still on the topic, you might as well get out any other questions you have about Chi. Though you'd honestly be better off talking to her yourself. You two could probably bond over your lack of math skills." Nakano snickered and poked him in the shoulder. He rolled his eyes at his tutor's sudden playfulness.

"Oi, I'm not completely hopeless with math," he grumbled.

The ginger's head bounced from side to side as he thought about it, humming thoughtfully. "Mm, you and Chi are pretty bad― but Chi's slightly worse at it than you are."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Well shouldn't it? You now have an ally against a common foe! One who'll share and understand your pain far better than I― a math magician ―could ever comprehend. Together, you can take on the dread army formulas, with there many imaginary numbers and letters, to solve the equation and save the grades! What's not to love about that?"

Hajime chuckled. "I think you just watch too much anime."

Kazuo shrugged, returning the grin. "You got me there."

"Wow. No denial, huh?"

"What's the point? Everyone's already aware of what a giant nerd I am."

"Touché."

Dark eyes flickered towards the two girls again. They were getting up to leave, it seemed. For a minute Hajime thought about what Kazuo had said. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to become friends with the blonde. At least then he'd have someone to share his complaints with during these tutoring sessions. While he had to admit the tutor was great company, the guy just couldn't quite get on the same wavelength as him when the numbers started to get too frustrating.

Something came to mind, then, and he turned towards Kazuo. "By the way, why did Maki-san not accept the stuff Oikawa tried to give her? I mean, obviously she has the right to refuse, but that moron's been acting all butthurt about it, but he only vagues an answer when I ask him for an elaboration."

Sometimes he could have sworn he was dealing with a child. A really big, unreasonable, spoiled child.

At that, Kazuo started laughing. "Oh really? Well that's a pretty easy answer: Chi doesn't like Oikawa-san. Period. She says that he's bad luck, and that's putting it nicely."

Iwaizumi smirked. "Heh. _Bad luck._ That's one I've never heard him labeled as before."

"But perhaps if Oikawa-san would stop lurking about behind the bookshelves, then he might earn back some respectability points," the ginger said, raising his voice just a little as he leaned around Hajime. The wing spiker whirled around in his seat to glare at the spot Kazuo pointed to.

Oikawa stepped out from behind a nearby bookcase with his hands in the air and the most phony expression of guilt he had ever seen on his face.

"You caught me!" the boy admitted cheerily.

"So I did," Kazuo responded, unimpressed. The tutor stood up and stretched. "I need to grab something from Rei real quick, so feel free to chat. Or commit murder. Whichever happens first."

Nakano left without another word. Oikawa waited until the ginger was gone, before stealing the recently vacated seat. The setter's brown eyes flickered casually from the abandoned paper on the table, to Iwaizumi, and then in the direction the tutor had vanished. Hajime squinted, suspicious of his friend. Normally he could guess what his friend was thinking, but this time, he was clueless.

"Alright, what the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

Oikawa gave him an innocent look. "Whaddya mean Iwa-chan? Can't I come support my friend while he struggles against the bane of his existence?"

"Not if you're gonna look like some kind of stalker while you're doing it." Hajime clicked his tongue. "And I thought you said you had somewhere else to be right now?"

The setter clutched his chest and gave a pitiful moan. " _Oof!_ And Iwa-chan lands a deuce, two hit kill, absolutely destroying me!"

When the setter saw the unamused expression on his friend's face his façade fell, and he sighed. Throwing an arm over the chair and crossing his legs, Oikawa finally became serious. "Okay, I'll admit it: I've been keeping an eye on Chi-chan. Call me intrigued by her, if you will."

Hajime groaned in disbelief. Couldn't he just let this go already? It was obvious that Maki-san wanted nothing to do with the popular boy, so why was he bothering to pursue such a pointless quest?

"You're such a dumbass sometimes, you know that?"

"I beg your pardon, Iwa-chan, but my ass is neither dumb nor smart. However, it most certainly is a fine ass."

"And crude, annoying, petty― Did I miss anything?"

" _Rude!_ "

Sometimes, Hajime liked to imagine a better world full of responsible people that wouldn't steal years off his life just by opening their mouths. He also liked to think about investing in a duct tape company for those that had blockheads for friends. Of course, strangulating the source of his stress was also a good daydream every now and then, even if following through with the act was technically frowned up.

Before he could get too deep into his dark musings, Oikawa spoke again, now deep in a thought bubble of his own. "Do you think I could get Chi-chan to be my friend?"

Iwaizumi frowned. "I think you'd have better luck trying to give a cat a bath."

Oikawa hummed thoughtfully, shifting in his seat until he had both elbows on the table. A calculative look gleamed in his eyes. He recognized that look in an instant.

Though Oikawa wasn't a natural born genius, he was well versed in his cunning, and was good at taking the information he had and turning it to his advantage. It was one of the things that made him such a star on the court, and fooled all but those that looked too closely. However, whatever plan his intricate mind was coming up with now couldn't possibly end well. Knowing what little he did about Maki-san, Iwaizumi was certain that converting her to be an Oikawa fan (the only kind of ' _friend'_ the setter seemed to make when it came to girls) was a terrible idea.

"It's rather funny that you'd choose that expression," Oikawa chuckled, "because I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and Chi-chan is very similar to a cat, manneristically speaking. A very distrusting cat."

"Then all the more reason you should leave her _alone_ ," he insisted.

The setter merely shook his head, the gears almost visibly turning behind his startlingly clear eyes. Iwaizumi's frown deepened, and he started leaning forward to give his friend a good smack upside the head. He paused, though, upon catching sight of Kazuo standing silently nearby. A disturbingly large textbook was gripped tightly in his hands, and a dark shadow stained his amber eyes.

He had heard every word Oikawa said.

The tutor moved in an almost predatorial way as he drew closer towards the unaware brunette. A shiver ran down Hajime's spine and he automatically began to scoot away. Meanwhile, the moron in question continued to quietly ramble on about his analysis of Maki Chiruka, and just how he might go about befriending her.

"The first thing usually done to gain a cat's trust is to get them used to your presence. If I could just start making my appearances normal to her, then it shouldn't be too long before she stops brushing me off."

"Oi, Trashykawa!" Kazuo was bearing down on the idiot now and it was _seriously_ freaking Iwaizumi out.

"Hmm, I wonder if she'd come to watch the practice match we have on Friday if I were to invite her…"

"Hey!" he snapped. "Knock it off!"

Oikawa blinked and finally looked at him. "Eh? You say something Iwa-chan?"

It felt like he was about to burst several important blood vessels, his blood pressure was so high! Could this dumbass be any denser?! Sometimes, he couldn't help but question if one of his only purposes as Oikawa's friend was to babysit him so he didn't get himself freaking _killed._

"If you don't stop, Nakano's gonna―"

He made the mistake of pointing at the ginger. The setter tilted his head to look behind himself. In the time it took for all of this to occur, Kazuo had readied himself, lifting his massive textbook until it was about eye level. As soon as Oikawa had placed himself in position then the death grip he had been maintaining on it was released.

There was nothing either of the two volleyball players could do to prevent the book from slamming into the prince's face with a resounding _whap!_ Iwaizumi winced, daring to look at Kazuo once more.

If he thought the silent fury had been a scary expression on his tutor's face, then this calm little smile that had replaced it was downright _terrifying._

The book awkwardly slid off the setter's face and rushed to meet the floor. Over the years, Iwaizumi had seen Oikawa's face meet with all kinds of surfaces. Floors, walls, volleyballs― even the back of Iwaizumi's hands and elbows had made a personal acquaintance with his face! (Purely on accident though. _Mostly._ ) But out of all incidents, the mark the large textbook had left was definitely the worst. Hajime didn't fancy the bruise Oikawa was going to get out of this one.

Oikawa didn't remain stunned for long, large hands flying up to cradle his face as he sat upright.

" _Ow!"_

He glared at Kazuo with eyes glistening between his fingers, whimpering quietly.

That little smile never left Nakano's face as he bent over, picking up the fallen book. Oikawa, now painfully aware of the danger he was in, began to edge out of his seat. But the tutor made no other move to attack. Instead, he moved around the table and neatly settled into the opposing chair from Oikawa, fixing him with an unsettling gaze.

The setter shifted around nervously. No doubt he was weighing his options and debating whether or not he could escape this encounter with his scalp still intact. If Hajime were to be honest with himself, then his bet was against his friend.

Kazuo laced his fingers together one by one, resting them on top of the textbook, and slowly eased himself forward. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully, Oikawa-san.

"I don't appreciate you treating your already unwelcome approaches towards my friend like she's some sort of wild animal. She is human, and should be treated accordingly. If you continue to treat this like some sort of game, approaching her with that _ridiculous_ angle and disregarding her feelings on the matter, then…"

The ginger slowly cracked his knuckles, making Oikawa's throat bob with a hard swallow.

"And if you hurt Chiruka," he tilted his head a fraction and widened his eyes, "I'll make certain that they never find the body."

The two volleyball players shuddered. He never knew that his peer tutor, a rather chill and polite guy, could be such a sadistic demon.

' _I will never take another nerd so lightly ever again,'_ he silently vowed, though it wasn't him that the ginger's ire was directed at.

Once Oikawa had managed to nod his understanding, Kazuo eventually dropped his petrifying stare, allowing the duo to relax. Although, that smile still remained, reminding them there was still an edge to be wary of.

"Now that that's settled, I think it's time I actually started helping you with your math, Iwaizumi-san," the ginger said in a cheerful tone. The automatic shift into pleasantry was startling, but Kazuo seemed to not notice it as he opened the weaponized textbook.

When neither boy moved, amber eyes flickered up. "You can leave now, Oikawa-san. Unless you're suggesting that you need help as well?"

It was posed so innocently, one might have thought that Nakano was actually being sincere about the offer. But it was just another threat. Recognizing this, the princeling shook his head and stumbled out of his seat, rambling about the places he needed to be, the other people he needed to bother.

The obviously unsettled setter clapped Iwaizumi on the shoulder and booked it out of the library. As he watched his friend flee from the scene, Hajime came under the distinct impression that he'd just been abandoned in a demon's lair.

Turning so he was face to face with his tutor once again, the spiky haired boy braced himself for whatever was bound to come next. It was absolutely uncanny how someone like Nakano could go from a normal guy to a demon with an overprotective friend-complex.

"Nakano-san," he began casually. The ginger stopped what he was doing and looked him in the eye. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

Kazuo smirked, then, and rested his cheek in his hand. He raised a finger in the air and began nonsensical shapes as he said:

"Then just don't mess with my friends, kay?"

"Also― Has anyone ever told you that you're scary as hell?"

The boy chuckled darkly. "Where exactly do you think I came from."

Hajime balked. He severely prayed that Oikawa wouldn't unwittingly (or even wittingly) pick any more fights with this guy, for everyone's sake.

Kazuo's smirk grew a little more smug as he returned to the original task at hand. "So, like I was saying the other day, the base of the square root is equal to…"

* * *

Oikawa carefully prodded at his now exceedingly tender nose, silently cursing that orange-top devil disguised as a human being. Luckily, that textbook hadn't broken anything, but now he was going to have to walk around looking like he'd been slammed into a wall.

' _I can't fault the guy for looking out for his friend, but did he have to be such a thug about it?'_ he grumbled miserably. ' _It's not like I was planning on kidnapping Chi-chan and forcing her to marry me or anything. What does he take me for? Some cheesy manga villain?'_

He lowered his hands, sliding them into his pockets, and walked towards the shoe lockers to go sulk. As he neared them, he began to pick up pieces of a conversation. Much to his delight, he recognized one of the people speaking. Curious, the setter hurried to his row and began listening in, carefully trading his shoes as he did so.

"Do you wanna come hang out at my place for a bit? Kaa-san is supposed to be making Donburi tonight since Issa-nii is coming back from his trip." One girl spoke. She was confident in her ease and familiarity, and it made the roughness in her voice appealing.

Chiruka's quiet voice responded with a hint of surprise, and Oikawa tilted his head to hear better. "Issa-nii is back already? I thought he wasn't supposed to be back until the summer?"

"He's taking an extended break, I guess. He's really missing home right now."

"I bet Hika-chan's really excited about this."

"We haven't told him yet." The tough girl chuckled to herself. "Otherwise he'd be bouncing off the walls nonstop, and Kaa-san doesn't want to get called into the school again because he couldn't contain his enthusiasm for one minute."

"I think it's cute how much he adores you guys. I'm actually kinda jealous." There was a series of creaks and clangs as they shut the doors to their lockers. Slowly, the two started to shuffle away. Wiggling into his shoes, Oikawa discreetly began to follow after them.

"But you've got Emi-chan," the other girl argued. "And I know how nuts that kid is for you. Your sister has Hika-chan beat in sibling dedication any day."

"Yeah, but I don't get to see her as often as you get to see your brother." Chiruka sighed. "Anyway, I'll see about stopping by later, so tell your mom to save me a bowl. Mayu-shisho wanted me to come in to the dojo today and help with the little kids again. She says they're all sweethearts when I'm around, but once I'm not then they turn into little cretins."

He caught sight of the girls just as they stepped past the lockers. Chiruka shook her head with a little chuckle. The braid she had her hair in today swung gently from side to side. It caught some of the late afternoon light pouring in through the open doors, and from where he stood, she almost appeared to be glowing.

"Sounds like Mayu is trying to scout you out as a new manager." The ravenette next to her threw her arm over the shorter girl's shoulder.

"She's been scouting me since the beginning of the school year. Heck, for all I know, she's probably had her eye on me since I was six. I'm considering taking her up on a more full time job next year, actually."

"What about the job my parents offered you at the flower shop?"

"Hmm, maybe I can try to part time both then? I dunno, I'll have to think on it some more."

Oikawa stopped at the threshold to the school, leaning against the doorframe as he watched the girls walk towards the gates. Hearing such a small piece of conversation was a gratifying look into other's lives. Little things, like the intimacy Chiruka shared with her friend, the job she did in her spare time, and the revelation that she had a little sister― it was such a normal and human thing which he found himself drawn towards.

In this false setting, where emotions, intentions, and people were hardly ever pure, Oikawa couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he and Maki Chiruka weren't so terribly dissimilar after all.


	3. You're A Curiosity

_(_ ** _Edited: 3/8/19_** _)_

* * *

 **3\. You're A Curiosity**

" _Curiosity only does one thing, and that is to give. And what it gives you are clues on the incredible scavenger hunt of your life." ―_ **Elizabeth Gilbert**

" _We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." ―_ **Walt Disney**

* * *

Airy music buzzed through the air. Three students worked idly to the almost cynical tempo, each enjoying one another's company without so much as a peep, save for some light humming.

Lazily, Chiruka tapped her pencil along with the music, her mind more preoccupied with the new manga Kazuo had found rather than on the homework she had yet to complete. Sitting in the desk beside her was Rei, leafing through notes she had gathered together in preparation for a science taste they had later that week; though in Chi's opinion, she didn't even need those things. Kazuo was on the floor organizing his folders and muttering to himself like a madman.

A typical start to a typical school day.

And no typical day was complete without the screams of the damned― er, the fans.

All three students looked up from their activities in annoyance. It was _way_ too early to be dealing with the mob.

Kazuo scowled at the walls, amber eyes glinting furiously. "Would it kill the Prince to at least wait until after lunch to attract attention?"

"Well, you know how the saying goes: Honey attracts flies by the masses." Rei gave a flippant wave of her hand, her voice somewhat breathy as she hummed between words. This elicited an eye roll from both friends.

His nose wrinkled. "And what part of that self-absorbed stalker is considered honey?"

"And yet here you'll find that I never said flies were brilliant."

The ginger seemed to consider this before giving a little cheer of approval. He was interrupted by another chorus of shrill, love stricken squeals, causing him to give the noisy halls another dirty look. The girls snickered at him.

Chiruka returned to flipping through her book, though her thoughts strayed to what Kazuo had said. Who the ' _Prince'_ he was referring to hardly constituted as a mystery. At this point, it was more of a shocker to find someone who _didn't_ know about Oikawa Tooru. Though to some, it was more strange to find a person who thoroughly disliked the guy. The fact that the Prince of Seijoh had managed to make it onto Kazuo's list of the vehemently despised was a rather sudden development to her― he had always been tolerant of certain things before today ―but she couldn't say it was wholly unexpected. After what he'd told her about Oikawa yesterday Chiruka couldn't fault him for feeling the way he did about the popular student.

' _His persistence is annoying.'_ She frowned. ' _Why did I have to catch_ his _attention, of all people, anyway? What could a guy like him gain from someone like me? Is it just to fuel his own ego? Is he so jealous that there's one girl that won't fawn or cry over him? He really does have the nastiest personality, doesn't he?'_

Just thinking about the Prince's possible motives for wanting to be her, quote unquote, _friend_ made her ill.

"Worry not Uo-kun, Chi― For if this high school nominated celebrity were to even dare pass this class with his hoard, then I Hanari Rei will commit great acts of violence for the both of you." Rei placed a hand over her heart, adopting a noble accent as she traveled back in time with her pledge. With a wink she added, "We can't let other people know how violent you guys really are. That's just bad for business."

"I'm not violent!" Kazuo huffed. "Just selective with my punishments is all."

"Ooo, kinky."

Both Kazuo and Chiruka choked, one spluttering and turning redder than his hair while the other struggled to keep from bursting out in braying laughter. For her friend's sake, of course. (It didn't work.) Rei snickered heavily at her success.

" _Rei!"_ Kazuo practically howled. "You can't― You can't just say stuff like that!"

"Says who?"

" _Says me!"_

Chi tried to keep her face neutral, but a little smile continued to fight against her as she said, "I didn't realize you were into that kind of stuff Kazu. You surprise me with something new every day."

" _CHIRUKA!"_

Both girls devolved into fits of howling laughter while their truly, exceptionally straight laced friend died on the spot. Chiruka hid her face behind her book, grinning wildly. Moments like this were the best. They made her feel normal, and she hadn't felt this kind of right since…

The smile on her face quickly vanished, though her laughter softly petered out at a normal rate. Her shoulders drooped and she bit her lower lip.

' _I'm fine,'_ she chided herself. ' _It's normal to not get the guy just because I expressed my feelings to him. He is just as entitled to reject them as anyone else is. I will get over this.'_

The last thought came to her more harshly than the rest. Chi repeated that to herself as she forcefully attempted to throw herself into the plot of her manga. However, trying not to think about what was hurting her only made her think about it more.

' _Was it me? Was I not even a good enough friend beforehand to convince him to give me a shot? Should I have smiled more around him? Should I have tried to be sweeter? Was he being genuine when he said no? What am I thinking, of course he was genuine. What reason would he have to lie to me? Unless I really am that unappealing to be with and he was just trying to spare some of my feelings.'_

So lost in her nagging thoughts, Chiruka nearly jumped as Kazuo threw his papers in the air with an awkward screech. She gave him an odd look as he fell backwards.

"I have an important test in cram later and I can _not_ concentrate with all that incessant shrilling!" He started pulling at his hair. "Can they just shut up already?!"

Rei leaned over her desk and waved to the boy having the meltdown on aisle three. "Uh, I hate to break it to ya Mr. A Plus Honors Student, but you literally get just as fired up as those Oikawa fans every time you see your otp so much as even in the same frame as one another."

"Hey!" Kazuo shot upright, pointing at her with an affronted scowl. "You can't compare my love for Yatori to their _infatuation_ with stupid prince. That's just insulting!"

"Yeah but you also know that you can be as underprepared for a test as a spring chicken and _still_ pass with flying colors. You just like to rub it in everyone's face that you're an overachiever."

Rei winked, sticking her tongue out at him. Kazuo leapt at her with a battle cry, their hands tangling with one another as they struggled to the upper hand in the sudden duel of strength.

Chi curled her own hands, setting the book down, and settled her chin on top of them, saying, "You two sure take the battle of love to a whole new level. What's next? Sword fights at the wedding?"

The duo instantly pulled away from one another, growing brighter than beacons at night, and she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Kazuo's mouth worked a mile a minute despite not being able to utter a single syllable, his face bordering a puce color as his blush deepened. As for the ravenette, she coped with embarrassment by giving up. Her head hit the desk with a dull thud, thin dark hair curtaining everything except the bright pink tips of her ears.

"There's gonna be a wedding? I love weddings! Mind if I come?"

All three students jumped at the sing song voice. Oikawa chuckled from his spot in the doorway and a shiver tapped its way down her spine. The music from her little phone eclipsed the silence, now unbearably noticeable from the clamor that usually surrounded the Prince.

His gaze flitted over her, peering down with a light but curious smirk. He raised his hand and wiggled his fingers.

"Yahoo, Chi-chan."

It was almost impossible to tell what he was thinking― At least, from where she sat, anyway. Even when his smirk turned into a dopey grin, she couldn't get a read on him. Chiruka hated that. She swallowed hard while fighting to keep up a neutral expression, instead of letting it morph into something of more disdainful proportions. Oikawa may have had looks and charming skills to back up his beloved image, but she wasn't about to let him get the drop on her.

Chiruka made sure not break her attention away from him until she had her book in front of her face once again.

She forced herself to focus on the pictures in front of her even as she heard the soft tread of shoes move in front of her desk. To her left, Rei and Kazuo shifted defensively, though they were obviously waiting to see how she reacted before doing anything for her on her behalf.

The book was slipped out of her hands in a flash. Chi stared at the empty space in which it had occupied, a tic developing near her eye. Did this guy just like ignoring the obvious social cues when they were presented to him?

"Noragami?" Oikawa slowly read the book's title aloud, glancing at her with what she assumed was a hopeful look for elaboration. As much as she would have loved to talk about the plot of her new fascination, she'd rather choke than explain anything to him. So she said nothing, regarding him with an ever narrowing gaze.

Chi couldn't deny that what she was looking at was a strapping young man (so long as she ignored the giant bruise on his nose). With his perfectly tousled curly hair, sharp eyes, a healthy complexion, and a strong jawline― it was easy to understand where part of his fanbase got its obsession. It was the other parts that she didn't really get. Looks were one thing, but he had to have the personality to back it up. And so far he had failed to deliver.

Being that what he showed to the world was utterly fake, she could only bring herself to be frustrated with him. Who did he think he was, forcing his unwanted attention onto her? Was this some elaborate show of pity? Or was it all just one big joke to him? She really hated not knowing what was up his sleeve.

' _Whatever it is, I won't give it to him,'_ she thought stubbornly, reaching for the homework she had previously been ignoring. ' _Starve him like a fever and he'll eventually go away.'_

One would have thought it was a good thing she still had homework to finish, but she had a feeling that it was exactly the opposite. Hardly anything seemed to throw off this annoying boy.

The feeling was almost prophetic, for as soon as she made a move for her work then it was swiped away from her as well. Oikawa looked ridiculous in that moment, hoarding her stuff close to his chest like some overzealous school girl. Even so, she'd had enough of this obnoxious behavior of his.

"Unless you plan on doing that for me then I suggest you hand it back." She finally broke her silence with a void in her voice to mask her irritation.

"Well, I won't do it for you, but perhaps we could arrange a time to work on it together." He winked and slowly slid her things back. Perhaps he was afraid she'd try to use them to ignore him again. Or maybe he was just trying to tease her closer into his domain. The possibilities seemed endless with him.

To her left she sensed tempers rising.

"What is it that you want, Oikawa-san." Her words came out more wearily than intended, but at this point she knew it'd be better to cut straight to the point. She made a wish, hoping that if he just said what was on his mind then he'd be satisfied enough to leave her alone. So many headaches could be avoided that way.

One brow rose up as he relaxed; an action so subtle that she almost missed it. Chi leaned back in her seat and regarded him carefully. Oikawa cocked his head thoughtfully, those deep brown eyes of his narrowing. For a moment he became so withdrawn that she began to wonder if he was even there at all. Not an inkling of a thought, not even one little hint or clue as to what was possibly running through that strange head of his.

And then he shifted, pouting like a child that had been denied a new toy.

"You're not being very friendly Chi-chan." He wagged his finger.

"Yeah and you're being annoying, so I guess that makes you two even." Rei finally snapped. Oikawa edged away when he caught sight of her glare. He held up his hands in a placating manner, but to Rei it undoubtedly came off as patronizing, if her growl was anything to by.

The ravenette stalked closer and slammed her palm on Chiruka's desk. She leaned forward with her meanest face on display.

"If all you're going to do is patronize my friend then you can just leave." Her nostrils flared with every venomous word she threw at him. "And if you don't stop I know _exactly_ how to make Kazuo's previous threat ten times worse."

The Prince gulped. "I-I don't mean any trouble. I just wanna talk, honestly!"

"Your definition of talk still looks an awful lot like harrassment to me," Kazuo remarked dryly.

Oikawa glanced at her repeatedly, eyes gleaming with a blooming panic.

On one hand, the situation was actually starting to amuse her. No doubt he was constantly reliving Kazuo's ire as he faced not one, but _two_ people that could and _would_ tear him apart. But on the other hand, her friends defensiveness on her half, no matter how endearing it was, was also beginning to get a bit out of hand.

Chiruka closed her eyes and rolled them. She was going to have to be merciful today, wasn't she?

She reached for Rei's arm and touched it gently. The ravenette whipped her head back with a questioning look.

Without breaking eye contact with her friend, she said, "He's got a minute to spit everything out."

Oikawa was relaxing again.

"And then you can flay him alive."

That got him to stiffen again, the tension surrounding him making him appear uncannily serious in just the blink of an eye. She couldn't help but hold her breath in anticipation of what he had to say. With a deep breath, Oikawa began to speak.

"I'd like to invite you to the practice game on Friday."

She blinked, stilling. Well that certainly had not gone in quite the direction she had been expecting. Still, the invitation was just short of sounding like he was asking her out on a date. Her gaze hardened, and she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"And why should I attend something for a sport I have no interest in?"

Even if half of this school seemed to be obsessed with volleyball, even if she had _family_ obsessed with it, there had never been even an inkling of appeal in the sport for Chiruka. And lack of appeal aside, she and the ball were practically mortal enemies (which unfortunately happened to be as compatible as magnets). Every time she saw one of those multi-colored projectiles she was compelled to duck and cover before it could even hone in on her face.

The setter's shoulders visibly drooped at the statement, but his face never fell. Rather, it only seemed to harden with determination. Oikawa Tooru was a person used to getting his way. Being denied what he wanted only seemed to make him hellbent on getting, as she was unfortunately coming to learn.

"I'd like to use it as an opportunity to become your friend." Something in the tenor of his voice overwhelmed her with the honesty of that statement. A little frown tugged at her mouth.

Before she or her friends could react, however, a menacing growl came from the doorway. Every head whipped in the direction it'd come from. Iwaizumi stood in the doorway, thick arms crossed over a broad chest and a mean glare to boot.

"I leave you alone for a second and her you are bothering people again. Didn't they tell you to leave them alone already?"

"Oo, the cavalry's here," Rei cackled gleefully beneath her breath.

"I was just inviting her to the game." Oikawa folded his arms with a grumble.

Iwaizumi scrutinized his friend with an intense iron will, cornering the other boy so badly that he couldn't possibly escape. Chi couldn't help but watch the silent interaction with a grudging amount of curiosity. Oikawa sighed dramatically, hanging his head in defeat as he trudged towards the door. She noted that, despite how much he seemed to pester Iwaizumi, he deferred to the other boy rather easily.

Before he left, however, Oikawa leaned back and caught her eye.

"See you at the game?"

Chi swallowed. His familiarity and unwavering certainty was disconcerting. A question like that, posed so innocently, so hopefully, was far more dangerous than anything she had ever encountered before. She was looking down the barrel of a loaded gun, uncertain of whether it'd fire in her face or not.

' _And yet…,'_ She hesitated. It didn't seem like she could just wait out this strange fascination he had for her. His patience appeared to be infinite. Perhaps it'd be better to take him up on this offer, just to find out what he was really after, because there was no way he simply wanted to be her friend. Not him.

As frustrating as he was, he was also a curious being.

She turned her head in the opposite direction. The ball was now in her court, so to speak.

"I make no promises."

The grin was evident in his voice. "That's more than I can ask for."

Her friends traded equally annoyed stares with one another.

"How full of himself can he get?" Rei huffed. She eyed the door distrustfully.

Kazuo turned to Chi. "Please tell me you aren't actually considering going to that match."

Cupping her face in her hand, Chiruka turned away from the as well. She really had to be crazy for considering doing just that. Under no circumstances was she obligated to comply with Oikawa, but whatever it was that boy had gotten into his head, she need to put a stop to it herself. And in order to do that she had to figure out exactly what he wanted. Nothing good was bound to come from associating with the school prince, after all.

So even though she really didn't want to subject herself to watching a sport she had no love for, and despite her friends misgivings, Chiruka knew what she had to do.

"I said no promises, so we'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?"

* * *

The gym was unbearably loud, immediately reminding her of yet another reason she didn't attend sports events. The volume of her music went up even more, but it barely made a difference. Between the actual practice going on below and the audience her noise of preference barely even made a dent.

Chi shuffled uncomfortably through the different groups in an attempt to find an out of the way spot to observe the match. She completely avoided the gaggle of shrill giggly girls, parking herself next to a couple boys that looked like they were from the basketball club. From her safer vantage point, Chiruka eyed the other group watching the practice match.

They were only noteworthy to her in the worst possible way; one of a few definitions she'd use to determine an unsavory crowd. Every school had their popular students. Every popular student had their saving grace of a talent. This gave them fans, and fans often split into factions of their own, ranging from benevolent to pure chaotic selfishness. This particular entourage happened to belong to a smaller offshoot of the prince's fan base; composed mostly of the prettiest elites this school had to offer, they were the idol worshippers.

If there was a religion dedicated to Oikawa Tooru then these girls were most assuredly the disciples of it. Even if their entitled pettiness was something she could generally ignore, Chiruka still didn't fancy being on the receiving end of their unrighteous fury. Waging war with the volleyballs was more appealing than that.

The screeching suddenly increased as the game appeared to begin at last. One girl in particular, with pretty red, bouncy hair, turned to the other girls and began to conduct them. Everyone of them cheered with an abundance of peppy flair.

' _They're acting like this is more than just a practice match,'_ she thought with no small amount of acid. Frowning, the volume of her music continued to go up, and her attention moved on to the players on the court. Aside from Oikawa and Iwaizumi, Chiruka only recognized about two other people on the team.

Kyōtani Kentarō was a quick spot, his attitude clearly visible from space. The punk wasn't on the starting lineup it seemed. He didn't appear too happy about that. Then again, from all the times she had bumped into him on the way to their apartment complex's laundromat, he never looked happy. Always such a grouchy brat, that boy.

The other person she recognized was Hanamaki Takahiro; their acquaintanceship was all courtesy of Rei, of course. If it hadn't been for her crush back in first year then he'd do nothing more than stand out for his exceedingly light hair.

Chiruka glanced around herself; either side bore unfamiliar faces. Being here by herself was an unusual trip, to say the least. If she went to any school related event then it was always a group effort. (If one friend had to suffer, then they all suffered together.) Not to say that it bothered her all that much. She was used to being on her own in the first place. And since Kazuo had cram, and Rei had prior obligations at her family's shop, she couldn't have expected them to join her on this expedition anyway.

Not that they wanted her here either, but that was beside the point.

A loud _whap_ rang from the court and she flinched back to reality. Chi warily eyed the ground in search of the offending sound, taking note of the players filling the court. In the far right corner was Oikawa. He bounced the ball against the polished wood. The simple action placed him right at home in his surroundings. Down below her was a man in his element.

Her eyes widened. Feet planted firmly apart, back straight, shoulders set back, and a cocky tilt of his chin toward the opposing team; his message for domination was received loud and clear even from where she stood. For a split second, she wondered if she was even looking at the right person.

Oikawa Tooru was a quirky, bubbly guy that managed to charm almost every person he met. Oikawa Tooru was annoying. Oikawa Tooru was a superficial prick and probably didn't even know the meaning of genuine emotion. A frivolous prince.

But this guy…

Now even the boys she was standing next to were starting to get swept up into the cheering hype.

He took a step back and tossed the volleyball into the air, running forward with it. His arms moved behind him in one fluid motion. They looked like wings preparing to propel him upward and onward. Crouching, Oikawa took the leap, jumping to meet the ball.

It rushed through the air seconds after touching his palm. One of the guys on the opposing team made a mad move to keep it from hitting the ground. He missed though, landing on his side hard enough that it made her wince. The ball bounced away from him and the fangirls erupted in roars that were borderline mutinous.

Chiruka could only gape.

Never before had she witnessed a serve executed like it was a work of art. Even from where she stood, high above the players, Oikawa's passion and drive to win had reached her. It permeated the room so strongly that it was almost palpable.

This young man, here and now, was powerful. His very presence was fierce and commanded respect. This guy was firm with resolve. This guy owned the whole damn court with nothing _but_ feeling.

Oikawa Tooru was no mere prince. He was a _king._

The star of the show grinned, raising his hand to deliver a thumbs up to his teammates. He caught the ball with one hand and returned to the starting point with a slight limp. When Oikawa faced forward again, he was ready to conquer.

* * *

"Thank you for the game!"

He bowed to the visiting team and went to shake hands. Every fiber of his being was singing in exhilaration, sweat completely drenching him, his heart pounding, pounding, _pounding!_ That game had been fantastic! He loved the rush of a fast paced game, of opponents that presented him with a challenge.

Oikawa moved away from the net with the rest of his team to cool down. All around him were the sounds of excited chatter and girls calling out to him. He turned towards his main cheerleading squad and waved, sending them into a squealing tizzy.

"Oi, stop dawdling and get over here," Iwa-chan groused.

Jogging up to his friend, he took the water bottle and towel offered to him, promptly rubbing himself down as he guzzled the cold liquid. Once finished, he began his stretches, taking turns between helping Iwa-chan and himself. After fifteen minutes of his he finally got up to help pack up the equipment.

"Good job today everyone!" he chuckled, clapping those he passed on the back.

The gym finally began to quiet down as people left. While he took the net down his eyes wandered over the stragglers, searching for one person. He'd been so focused earlier that he'd never gotten the chance to properly look around. As his gaze swept about he caught sight of one lone figure standing uncertainly by the railing. She looked ready to bolt at the slightest provocation.

' _She actually came.'_ Wonder filtered through his system. A grin crept up his face. It was a miracle. Since Chiruka had never confirmed whether or not she would actually show up then he'd had his doubts.

" _Ooi!_ Chi-chan!" He waved to her and she immediately flinched away. Shoving her hands into her sweater pockets, ducking her head, the girl quickly shuffled out of the gym like a criminal caught in the act of spying.

"Wow." Hanamaki, who was helping him with the net, deadpanned. "The great Oikawa managed to scare a girl away not even three seconds into the greeting. The wonders never cease with you, do they?"

His face flushed. "Shut it Makki."

The boy sniggered. As soon as they finished with the net they made a break for the hall, ready to change and head home for the day. Once they stepped out the gym Oikawa did a double take.

There, standing across the way from the door, was Chiruka. Head down, earbuds in, and very fidgety― She didn't look suspiciously out of place at _all._

"Well how 'bout that." Makki let out a low whistle and gave him a sly grin. "Play nicely now."

"Oh ye of little faith." He loped away from his friend and smiled at Chiruka when she noticed his approach.

Chiruka was a cutie, with big blue eyes that had a sleepy curve to them, tan skin, and a golden mane of wavy hair; tiny, quiet, and hiding an underlying ferocity just waiting to be uncovered. He just needed to know the right password to unlock tose hidden traits of hers.

"I wasn't certain you'd come," he admitted, stopping a couple paces away from her.

Chiruka shrugged. "That was the point."

"I see." His smile softened. Her way of evading him was rather funny; she wanted nothing to do with him, yet coincidentally, here she was. No doubt she wanted answers from him. Why he insisted on pursuing her and the like. She didn't believe him when he said he wanted to be her friend. But if that disbelief was what kept bringing her back to him then he would use it, until, eventually, his words finally registered as the truth to her. And then they could finally get off on the right foot.

"How much of the game did you watch?"

"I showed up just as it started. That was a good game you guys played, I guess… I mean, you won, so I figured it was good, but I didn't really… Yeah, whatever." Her hand inched up her neck and she shrugged again.

This conversation wasn't doing very good at staying afloat. At best it was just really uncomfortable small talk. Oikawa hurried to keep it going.

"I know now that you don't really care for volleyball, but did anything surpass your expectations?"

Chiruka frowned, hesitating. "I'm… not really sure. All I know is that you're really frustrating." Before he could ask for an elaboration she plowed on. "You're so different on the court than you are in the classroom. You come off as more genuine and hardworking there than anywhere else, and it's obvious that you care about your sport so much to the point that it comes off borderline obsession. It throws me off from the way you initially project yourself to others and I don't like it. Makes me even more skeptical every time you approach me."

"And what about you?" he shot back. This was the most he'd ever gotten out of her, and he was determined to ride this wave while it was there. "You'd rather people believe you don't have feelings so you hide behind your indifference. I'd say that makes you and I fairly alike. Shouldn't birds of a feather flock together?"

"Only until the cat comes." Oikawa frowned as she folded her arms over her chest. What did that mean?

Seeing his confusion, she explained, "That's the rest of the idiom. It means that people of similar taste band together until the first sign of hardship."

At that he couldn't help but smile ruefully. She really seemed to think so little of him, didn't she? Or was it that she had taught herself to think that way about everyone else in order to protect herself?

"How can I prove to you that I'm serious about wanting to be your friend?"

Her mouth opened with no sound to follow, pausing. Her eyebrows cinched together, eyes flicking towards the floor; it looked like she was really giving this some thought. When she looked up at him again, however, there was only more confusion.

"I don't know."

Oikawa thought about it for a moment. Bonding one on one was enough to make her even more uncomfortable and defensive than she was before, as he noted now, but he wasn't certain how long he'd survive in the presence of her friends if he were to keep inserting himself into their lives. What they needed was their own simple routine. A bit of normality that would keep the ball in motion.

"How does meeting for lunch sound? I'll bring Iwa-chan and you can bring your friends." When she didn't respond he added, "You don't have to answer right now, but just know the offer is open for whenever."

The girl studied him intently, as if staring at him hard enough would force him to give up his secrets, reveal the hidden joke. Finally she gave up, blinking slowly, and murmured, "I'll have to think on it then. But don't get your hopes up."

A crooked smile lit up his face. "That's really all I can ask for."

She gave him a curious look, before turning to leave. She only got a few steps away before he called out to her.

"Oh, and Chi-chan." The girl stopped. "See you on Monday."

For a moment Chiruka considered his words. And then―

"Bye Oikawa."

The setter grinned at her retreating figure. A day would come when he would get her to look him in the eye and be honest with him, he just had a feeling it would. But for now progress was progress, and he'd happily take what he could get.

With a happy little whistle Oikawa skipped back to the locker room, already anticipating Monday's arrival.


End file.
